Ivy Ground

The Ivy Ground belongs to the plant family Cucurbitaceae. It is a slender, much-branched climber with grooved stem and tuberous roots. The tendrils on this plant are slender, striate and simple. The leaves, 5-10 cm. long, are bright green in colour, simple, alternate and 3-5 lobed. The unisexual flowers are solitary and white in colour. The fruits are generally oval and sometimes slightly beaked. They are green with white stripes and yellow when ripe. The seeds are somewhat obovoid, rounded at the apex, much compressed and yellowish grey. The fruits are widely used as a vegetable in many parts of the country, and the local doctors and housewives have been using them for household remedies for various ailments.

MEDICINAL USE:
*Psoriasis, skin infections, body-heat and burning eyes.
*Inability to pass urine.
*Diabetes and dryness of the skin.
*Obesity.
*Diarrhoea.
*Sores on the tongue.
*Scabies.
*Swelling.
*Jaundice.
*Leprosy.

HOW TO USE:
*For psoriasis, skin infection, body-heat and burning eyes, boil one cup of  the leaves, dry and grind
  them into a fine powder. Store in a glass bottle and keep in a cool place. Mix one teaspoon powder
  in hot water and drink thrice a day.
*In cases of the inability to pass urine, boil two teaspoon of the roots in one cup water till the water is
  reduced by half and drink while it is warm.
*For diabetes and dryness of the skin, eat two raw fruits everyday.
*For obesity, boil two teaspoons of the stem in one cup water till the volume is reduced by half, and
  drink.It is also essential to avoid fatty foods and the quantity of the food intake must be gradually
  reduced. Daily vigorous outdoor exercise for 30 to 40 minutes, which makes you perspire, will help
  shed that extra fat.
*For diarrhoea, extract the juice from the leaves. Mix two teaspoons of this juice with 1 cup of curd
  or yoghurt and take this twice or thrice daily till you have normal motions.
*For sores of the tongue, chew to the tender fruits for at least ten minutes.
*For scabies, extract 1 cup juice from the leaves. Add one teaspoon butter and mix thoroughly. Apply
  the paste on the affected parts frequently.
*For swellings on the body, fry a handful of leaves with neem oil (Azadirachta indica). When warm,
  apply on the swelling and bandage.
*For jaundice, make a decoction of the flowers and drink 3-6 cups daily.
*For the early stages of leprosy, the fresh fruits are eaten and some crushed fruits are apply externally
  on the affected parts.

PARTS USED:
*Stem, fruits, leaf, flowers, root.

DOSE:
         
As recommended above.

Normal Dosage For:

Adults: 4 or 5 cups a day.
Aged 6 to 9 years: 2 cups a day
Aged 2 to 5 years: 1 cup a day
1 to 2 years: 1/2 cup a day
Below 1 year: 1/4 or less cup a day

A Useful Table for Quick Measurements:
1 tbsp = 5 grams (green herb)
1 dessertspoon = 2 grams (dry herb)
1 teaspoon = 25 drops
1 cup = 16 tbsp


1 litre = 7 or 8 cups